So after 18k battles I kind of accidentally unlocked the T-100LT. Since I do not have premium normally, and can't play a lot (last year I clocked only 300 battles), I never expected to actually play with any one tank enough to collect almost 300k exp.
Anyhow, this Christmas I got a lot of premium time in lootboxes, and well, we got premium thanks to the virus. Before I did not even consider paying for it, because when I started to play, it gave you a 1.5X multiplier, and that's that (plus a pressure to play because the clock was ticking). Now with the daily 5 bonus you can add to you wins, during Christmas I suddenly went over the tier VI-VII Italian tanks (I hated them and never thought I would actually play over a hundred battles to get to the tier VIII which I did in much fewer battles with premium), I got the T-50, and the lynx, and in the last three days I managed to "grind" over 100k exp on the T-54lw… In other words, the progression went about five times (!) faster with premium. In about 30 games I blasted through the tier VII Italian (OK I had two blueprints dropped before, so it was quicker- by the way, the blueprints are amazing, too.) It is incredible. Now -I honestly do not know when this change with the bonus came in- I think it is worth paying for premium, if the pressure of "having to play once you paid" wasn't there. Now I understand how people can get to tier X in a relatively short time; it is totally doable with premium. I think it is a more acceptable aspect of the 'pay for a free game' business model than the overpowered premiums (and intentionally gimped stock grinds). It is pay-to-progress which is OK(ish).
On a side-note, now I have a 100% WR at tier X, a rare accomplishment very few unicums can claim, so I think I should stop playing this tier now.
